Liquid and air circulating refrigerator



sept. 27, 1932. HUSTN y 1,880,093

LIQUID AND AIR CIRCULATING REFRIGERATOR LFiled April 6. 1931 CMH/HumATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 1982 hdtfid CHARLES El. HUSTON, GF ALLERTON, IOWA.

mourn Ann .ein eincnmirrue nnrn-rennnfron ltrpinaticn ledhprl G, 1981.Serial No. 587,889.

l he principal object of myinvention is to provide a refrigerator thatproduces a relatively low temperature to the amount of ice used.

A further obj ect of this invention is toprovide a refrigerator that isso constructed that the air inside the refrigerator is continuously keptin a fresh condition. A

A still further object of my invention is to provide a refrigerator thatwhen once intalled requires little attention from the owner and one thatis easily kept in a sanitary condition.

A. lstill further object of this invention is to provide a liquid andair circulating refrigerator that is economical in manufacture andeconomical and durable in use.

These and other objects will be Vapparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationof the various parts` of the device, whereby the objects contemplatedare attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in myclaims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

which: c

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of my complete invention in use.

F ig. 2 is a top plan sectional view of the 30 device and is taken online 2-2 of Fig. 1, to more fully illustrate its interior construction.

F ig. 8 is an enlarged view of the water outlet pipes.

The chief objections to large refrigerators now on the market are thatthey are lacking in eiciency relative to the amount of ice` used andharbor excessive impurities in the atmosphere inside the refrigerator. lhave overcome these objections by provi/ding a refrigerator that notonly utilizes thecold liquid from the melted ice to additionally coolthe inside of the refrigerator, but promotes continuous circulation ofthe air inside the refrigerator.

l have designated the housing of my invention by the numeral 10. Thishousing, which forms the ice box of the invention, is preferably ofrectangular elongated construction with its left end portion extendingto a height above the height of thebalance of the housing, as shown inFig.V l. The housing l0 may be made of any suitable material and iscompletely lined with nonconductive material 11 such as cork or thelike. Thenumeral 12 designates a lid enclosing anopeningin the top ofthe ice box. This lid 12 is positioned above the greatest depth of therefrigerator. Inside theV housing 10 and below the lid 12 is acomparatively large vertical tank 18.

T his tankis spaced apart from the lid 12, the

floor of the housing A10, and the left inner side of the spaced apart atits upper end portion from the downwardly extending top portion 14; of

the housing which exists by virtue ofthe fact that the left end portionof the housing is higher in altitude than the balance of the housing.

However, the width of the tank 18 extends completely from the back side.of the housing 10 to the front side of the housingl 10, as shown inFig. 2. The numeral 1 5 designates a small drain cock having one endcommunicating with the inside of the housing 10 and its other endcommunicating with the inside bottom of the tank 18. rlhe numeral `16designates a lid enclosing an opening in the top of the tank 18. Thistank 18 has its inside top insulated with suitable material such as corkand also its upper side portion fur- *trayV on the top of the freezing.compartment.

The numeral 2O designates a comparatively shallow horizontal tanksuitably supported inside the housinglO. This tank 20eXtends from thetankv18 to a position near the right inner side of the housing 10 and isof such dimensions that a considerable space exists `between 1t and theinside top of the housing 10 and the inside bottom of the housing 10. It

will also` be noted that the greater portion of housing 10. The tank y18is also` the length of this second tank resides inside the portion ofthe housing that is comparatively low and that the tank 13 resides inthe portion of the housing 10 that is of the greater The numeral 22designates a hood on the` left end portion of the tank 20, which eik utends to the left and upwardly where it is soldered or-otherwise securedto the outer side of th'e tank 13. The numeral 23 designates a pipe'having one end communicating with the inside 4of the tank V13 just belowthe tray 19 and the inside of the hood port-ion As the hood portion .22has its lower end communicating With the inside top of the tank 20,liquid passing from the tank 13 through the pipe23 will fall into thetank 20, which has 5 its main portion below the pipe 23.

The numeral 24 designates a plurality of doors inthe rear side of thehousing 10, which permit access to the stop of the tank 20. This yspace-above the tank 2O is the cooling com- O partment of the refrigerator.The numeral `25 designates'adownwardly extending batlie member ofnon-conductive material such as cork or the like. This bai-lie member 25eX- tends downwardly7 directly below the portion 5 14 `and terminates adistance above the'tank 20 and hood 22. The numeral 26 designates asmall receptacle Vat the right end of the tank 20. This receptacle 26has the same height and elevation of the tank 20. The numeral 27designates a pipe having one end communicating with the inside top ofthe tank '20 and its other end communicating with the inside of thereceptacle 26.

The numeral 28 designates a second pipe having one end terminatinginside the tank 20, but ata point much lower in elevation than the pipe27 and its other end terminat in-g inside the receptacle 26. The numeral29 designates a manually operated valve interimposed in the pipe 28.lThe numeral 30 designates a continuous trough in the bottoiu of thehousing 10 and'which follows adj acent the four inner sides of theinvention. The

*bottom of the trough 30, as shown in Fig. 3.V

VThe numeral 33 designates a second drain or Water outlet pipealso-extending into the housing 10 and into the trough 30, buttervminating at the bottom of the trough 30, as

height. As this tank 2O is of much less width Y numeral 31 designates apipe communicating Y shown in `Fig. 3. The numeral 311 designates athreaded plug or means for enclosing the pipe 33 in order that the samewill not be in communication at times with the inside of the trough 30.The complete housing 10 may be held above a supporting surface 36 by.blocks or legs 35.

To operate the device it is merely necessary to remove the lids 12 and16, fill the tank 13 with broken ice 37 and salt and replace the lids 12and 16. This ice as it melts, will fill the bottom portion of the tank13 and provide the cold salt water, which I have designated by thenumeral 38. The member19 will'aid in holding most of the broken orcracked ice above the compartment 17. As the lcompartment 17 will becompletely surrounded by ice or extremely cold salt water, all'foodmaterials, which require a very low temperature to prevent them fromspoiling, shouldl be placed in this freezing compart- Vment through thedoor 18.

Y As the ice melts and the liquid therefrom raises in the tank 13, whichmay be tapered y toward its bottom, it will eventually pass or anauxiliary bottom may be supplied to` rest on top of the tank 20.

Glass Windows may also be in the front of `4 the refrigerator, but whichare not shown, due to the sectional showings of the drawing. From thetank 20 the cool liquid will pass through the pipe 27 into therec-eptacle- 2G,

from which it will pass through the pipe 31 to the trough 30. Thistrough 30 will lill with the cooling fluid luntil it reaches a height topass out from the refrigerator through the pipe 32. Naturally, by thetime the liquid 38 passes out of the pipe 32, which is at the right endof the refrigerator, it will have lost the major portion of itscoldness. Tf it is desired, the tank 20 may be maintained only partiallyfilledwith cool water and this is accomplished by opening the valve 29.clean the device, all of the water should be drained from the trough 30and this is accomplished by removing the plug 34e. c

ris the right upper side and top of the tank 13 are insulated, they willbe warmer than the left end side and bottom ofthe tank 13. This willcause the air between the inner right end of the housing 10 and thetank13 to circulate downwardly and tothe right under the bottom of thetank 13, asshown by the arrows To`r in Fig. 1. From below the bottom ofthe tank 13 the air will circulate upwardly and to the right under thetank 20. As the right end wall and back side of the tank 2G areinsulated and warmer than the other sides of the tank, the air insidethe refrigeratoi` will tend to circulate upwardly between the rear wallof the refrigerator and the tank 2O and between the right end wall ofthe refrigerator and the tank 200. Some of this air, after it passes tothe compartment above the tank 20, will pass downwardly between the tank2O and the front wall of the refrigerator, the-reby providing atransverse circulation of the air around the tank 20. j

Most ofthe air, however, thatreaclies the compartment above the tank 2Owill pass below the baille member 25 and upwardly between the right sideof the tank 13 and the portion 14 of the housing, as shown in Fig. 1.From this position, the circulating air will pass Vabove the tank 13 andthen downwardly, as we have lierebcfore seen. The upward movement of theair between the tank 13 and the bathe member 25 and portion 14 isencouraged to do so by the upper right side portion of the tank 13 beingproperly insulated and of a warmer nature than the other side and bottomof the tank 13.

.f- The battle member 25 also revents a change of circulation or for anexcessive amount of cool circulating air in the refrigerator to escapethrough any of the doors 24 when they are opened, as this member extendsto a lower elevation than the lowest elevation of any of the doors 24.

lf it is desired to drain Vthe tank 13, the drain cock 15 should beopened.

From the foregoing, it will readily be yseen that by circulating the airinside the refrigerator and using the cold liquid from the melting ice,a refrigerator is provided that produces an extremely low temperaturerelative to the amount of ice used, thereby making for ethciency andeconomy. Also, the circulating of the air inside the refrigeratoreliminates impurities and offensive odors inside the saine. Much ofthese impurities in the air, which contact the water in the trough 30,will be carried of' by the water through the outlet drain pipe 32.

Although I have described my invention as particularly adapted to usewith cracked ice and salt, it may be also used to advantage withelectric refrigeration insidethe tank 13. A hood 39 may be placed in thecompartment 17 to prevent condensed liquidV from falling downwardly ontothe items in the compartment. Insulation should be placed under thishood. rlhe numeral Ll0 designates a drain pipe leading from thecompartment 17.

Some changes maybe made in the construction and arrangement of myimproved liquid and air circulating refrigerator without departing fromtheffreal spirit and purwhich maybe reasonablyV Aincludedrwithin -lwlnafdevice of the clas'sdescribed, ahousing, a vertical tank inside saidhousing having `some'of its sides spaced from theinner sides ofi-saidhousing?, a' compartment 'inside said tank, a door=communicating withvthe inside .ofsaidcompartment,a second tank-inside said housing `andhaving some of its-sidesV spaced apart Ifrom the inner sides ofV saidhousing, aA pipe having one ofits ends communicating with Ytheinside-ofsaid first mentioned tankandii'ts 1 other V endcommunicatcompartment above said second tank, a door communicating withthe-.inside ofv said last mentioned compartment, anoutlet pipe com'-municating with the insidev ofsaid second ving "with the inside ofthesecondv tank, a `85 tank, andlinsulating material embracing a Yportionof each of said tanks for encouraging the circulating of air insidesaidhousing.

2. In a device yof the class: described, a housing, `avertical tankinside saidhousing 4having some of its sides spaced: from the innersidesof said housing, a compartment Y inside said tank, a Idoor communicatingwith .the insideof said com artment .a second tank inside saidfhousingand Vhaving some of its sides spacedapart: fromthe inner sides of saidhousing, a,pipe having one end lcommunicating .with the inside of saidfirst mentioned tank at a point 'between the top and bottom of-saidtank'and its other end .communicating with the inside top of said secondtank, a compartment above said second tank, a door communicating withthe yinside of v-said lastmentioned compartment,

an outlet pipe communicating with the inside ofsaidsecond tank, andinsulating material embracing a -portion vof each of said tanks 'forencouraging the circulating of air inside said housing. 1

3. In a device ofthe class described, a housing, a vertical-.tank insidesaidhousing having some of its sides spaced from the -iiinerY sides .ofsaid housing, a compartment inside said tank, a tray inside `said tankand above said `compartment, adoor communieating with the inside of saidcompartment, a second tank inside said housing and having some of itssides spaced apart from the inner sides of said housing, a pipe havingone of its ends communicating with the inside of said iirst mentionedtank and in its other endV communicating with the inside of the secondtank, a compartment above said second tank, a door communicating withthe inside of said last mentioned coinpartment, an outlet pipecommunicating with the inside of said second tank, and inion ilo

sulating material embracing a portion of each of fsaid tanks forencouraging the circulating of air inside said housing. l

4. In a device of the class described, a housing, a vertical tank insideand at one end of said housing; said tank having its right and leftsides and top and bottom spaced from the inner sides of said housing, a.horizontal tank inside said housing fand spaced yapart from the innersides of said housing, aV compartment inside said iist mentioned tank-Y;said second mentioned tank so positioned as to create a compartmentbetween its top andthe top of said housing,

a pipe having one end communicating with said first mentioned tank andits other end communicating With the inside end of said second tankadjacent said lfirst tank, and an outlet pipe communicating with theinside opposite end of said second tank.

5. In a device of the class described, an elongated housing having oneofits end portions higher than its other end portion, a comparativelydeep tank inside said housing and positioned Where said housing has thehighest elevation; said tank having its top, bottom, `and right and leftsides spaced from the inner sides of said housing, insulating materialon the top and right kside of said tank, a compartment inside said tank,a comparatively shallow horizontal tank inside said housing andcompletely spaced from the inner sides of said housing, a pipe havingone end `communicating With the inside of said first mentioned tank andthe inside of said second mentioned tank, a downwardly extending bailiemember inside said housing and terminating a ldistance above said secondtank, insulating material on the back side and right side of said secondtank, `a smallv receptacle at Ithe right-end of said second tank, a pipehaving one end communicating with the inside top .of said second tankand said receptacle, a second pipe having one end communicating With theinside Y of said second ytank and its other end communicating With theinside of said receptacle and at a lower altitude .than said first Ymentioned pipe, a manually operated valve intel-imposed in said lastmentioned pipe, and a ldrain pipe having one end communieating with theinside of said receptacle. CHARLES H. HUSTON.

